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CHANGES IN ENGLISH BETTING CUSTOMS Nowadays the Chester Cup like the other big longdistance spring handicap the Great Metro ¬ politan never leads to antepost wagering It is curious that layers should be so apathetic hi this respcct with regard to long races generally for thi decline is not limited to the two events of which the Chester Cup used to In the biggest future event betting race of any handicap with tin exception of the Cesarewitch and Cambridge ¬ shire Not only has the Chester Cup vanished from the list of longdistance antepost betting races for the Northumberland Plate and Great Ebor Handicap Ixith of which could be relied upon a decade or more ago to lead to a certain amount of advance wagering have shared in the decadence of the timehonored race on the Rondee In earlier days too such other events run over long courses as the Ascot Stakes and Goodwood Plate invariably attracted a considerable amount of antepost speculation but they have long siuro ceased to figure In the list of futures Another handicap formerly associated with early betting that lias also becoine a postbetting adalr is the Manchester Cup It is ilitlicult to understand why wagering on longdistance events beforehand with the solitary exception of the Cesarowitch should have so completely died away There Is It is true annually a little advance betting on tiie Man ¬ chester Noremlier Handicap but that only arises out of the race being the last big handicap of the season and to all intents and purposes the Cesaro wltch is he sole survivor of the many races over long courses which in days of yore were attractive to futureevent speculators That he public may prefer to take a chance in a sprint race sucli as the Stewards Cup at Goodwood Is the contention of the bookmaking fraternity but the lottery of the start in races run over distances up to a mile or thereabouts no doubt appeals to the layers for horses in the ordinary way cannot give start Jn sprint rails as they can in events decided over long courses The cases of Lord CHfdtii and Kllwarlln In the St Leger are instances in point of horses being able to lose ground at the begin ¬ ning of a long rare and yet win as was also the case with Kilbroney In the Great Metropolitan of four seasons back Vigilant In London Sports ¬ man
